Senate Joint Resolution
No. 30
CHAPTER 246
Relative to the Amtrak National Network.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
September 12, 2018.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SJR 30, McGuire.
Amtrak National Network.
This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to support the retention of, and investment in, the Amtrak National Network of passenger trains, specifically the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief, and the Sunset Limited, as vital components of the state’s rail program and would also urge Congress to reject President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2019 federal budget cuts to Amtrak and restore full funding for the
Amtrak National Network through the appropriations process.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) was created in 1970 to assume the common carriers’ obligations of the private railroads and provide intercity passenger rail service throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak’s mission is to deliver intercity transportation that helps move people, the economy, and the nation forward; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak operates a nationwide rail network, serving more than 500 destinations in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and three Canadian provinces, in addition to serving as a contractor in various capacities for several commuter rail agencies; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak National Network trains are often the only form of public transportation available to thousands of small communities nationwide, and are a vital link between urban and rural America; and
WHEREAS, The State of California has a vested interest in the continued success of the local and national Amtrak network as it is home to three of the top six busiest Amtrak corridors in the nation, with approximately 70 Amtrak trains operating in California every day serving nearly 12 million riders; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak trains operating in California include both state-supported intercity routes, such as the Capitol Corridor, the Pacific Surfliner, and the San Joaquins, and Amtrak National Network trains, including the California Zephyr, running daily from the San Francisco Bay Area to Salt Lake City and Chicago; the Coast Starlight, running daily from Los Angeles to Oakland and Seattle; the Southwest Chief, running daily from Los Angeles to Albuquerque and Chicago; and the Sunset Limited, running triweekly from Los Angeles to New Orleans; and
WHEREAS, The state invests roughly $130,000,000 every year to support the three intercity service routes that provide safe commute alternatives to millions of Californians; and
WHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump has proposed to cut federal funding to Amtrak in his Fiscal Year (FY 2019) federal budget proposal; and
WHEREAS, Any federal funding cuts to the Amtrak National Network could directly impact California and jeopardize passenger rail connectivity within the state and the nation; and
WHEREAS, Elimination of the Amtrak National Network trains could cause an increase in costs to operate California’s
state-supported intercity passenger rail services; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature views the Amtrak National Network as a federally supported program and does not support proposals to break up the Amtrak National Network into corridors and require states to pay for the
service; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature urges Congress and the President of the United States to support the retention of, and investment in, the Amtrak National Network of passenger trains, specifically the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief, and the Sunset Limited, as vital components of the state’s rail program; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature urges Congress to reject President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2019 federal budget cuts to Amtrak and restore full funding for the Amtrak National Network through the appropriations process; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, to President and CEO Richard H. Anderson of Amtrak, to Secretary Elaine L. Chao of the United States Department of Transportation, and to the author for appropriate distribution.